Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 77205 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 386(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77205 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 386(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
With that gone, the bruises were even more evident. Or maybe that was the shitty fluorescent lights. But, fuck, she was looking rough. Rings under both eyes, another big bruise on one cheek, a smaller one on the other.
Her arms were more cut up than I’d realized, too. And her palm on the arm that wasn’t getting little strips of plaster applied had a deep gash.
If she wasn’t feeling it yet, she was going to be in a fuckuva lot of pain when the shock wore off.
I stood there, listening to the doctor rattle off instructions for her wrist. About following up with an orthopedic doctor, keeping her cast dry, watching out for blue fingers from the swelling.
Unfortunately, then, I saw the cops rolling in, and made an excuse before she saw them, telling her I was going to go get us some coffee, then leaving the hospital to go get some from a chain place, so the cops couldn’t look for me for a statement.
By the time I made it back, they were nowhere to be seen, and Millie looked even paler than before.
“Where’d you go for coffee? Colombia?” she asked, managing a small smile as I passed her the cup. “Thank you.”
“How’d it go?”
“Fine,” she said, gaze sliding away. “The doctor said I have whiplash, but no concussion. And my ribs are bruised, not broken.”
That wasn’t what I meant and we both knew it, but I said nothing.
“Bruised feels just about as bad as broken,” I said, shrugging. “No foam collar?” I asked.
“He said that a lot of doctors think the collars make it worse, but I might want one for sleep.”
“Any other instructions?”
“They gave me a pain pill, and told me to follow up with my primary, maybe for some muscle relaxers,” she said.
“So, you just look a fuckuva lot worse than you are?” I asked, getting a little snort out of her.
“Gee, thanks.”
“Just giving it to you straight.”
“I guess I should appreciate that,” she said.
“Meds kick in yet?”
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “And everything is starting to hurt at once.”
I glanced around, then moved to close her door.
“What are you doing?”
“Let’s be real here for a minute,” I said, gaze sliding to hers.
“Real?” she repeated, her eyes going to her coffee cup.
“You can’t go back to your place in the woods.”
“What?” she asked, head jerking up, then eyes going small at the pain the whiplash likely caused.
“Come on, Mills,” I said, shaking my head. “Clearly, you’re into something. Something bad enough that someone tried to kill you for it. If there’s a chance this fuck finds out you didn’t die, you’re a sitting duck in a hunting cabin. And Storm might be a good dog, but he’s not big enough to fight off an attacker. Yet.”
She didn’t even try to deny it.
“I have nowhere else to go,” she admitted, voice small.
It was stupid as fuck.
I had no authority to offer her protection.
But I couldn’t seem to stop the words from escaping my lips.
“Come to the city with me,” I said.
“What?” she asked, those pretty gray eyes going wide.
“The city. It’s the perfect place to hide. Tons of people. Everyone minding their own damn business.”
“I don’t even know you,” she said.
To that, I nodded, reaching a hand out to her.
“Silvano Costa,” I said, shaking her good hand. “There. Now you know me. Really, Mills, the fuck other choice you have?” I asked. “Let’s be real. If you had the money, you’d have been out of the country. You don’t. And you likely already dropped a lot of it trying to hide out in the woods. You’re out of options.”
“Why would I come with you?” she asked, her eyes looking round and vulnerable.
Seen a lot of women with that look before.
Yet none of ‘em had the impact as Millie’s did right then, making my stomach tense, making me unexpectedly ready to go to bat for her.
“Because you wouldn’t be alone then,” I said, shrugging.
“You don’t even know me,” she said, tone laced with suspicion.
“If it makes you feel any better, you’re not my type,” I said, watching as her brows lifted. Offended, maybe? She didn’t need to be. Because it was a complete fucking lie. If it was possible for a fantasy to come to life, she was it. But knowing that would make her think she wasn’t safe with me. And she was. Not only would I never, on principle, ever lay a hand on a woman without her consent. But the fucking Family would chop off my balls if they found out I had.
“Uh, weird to say, but okay,” she said. “Still…”
“Look, it’s not like I’m gonna fucking drag you to the city with me. I’m just giving you an option that doesn’t involve getting strangled to death in the woods. Think on it,” I said, then made my way out of the room, finding the waiting area, and parking there for another couple of hours while she finished with whatever the doctors and nurses needed to do, then got discharged.